How to fix iPhone microphone not working

An iPhone is almost useless without a working microphone. A broken microphone means no FaceTime , phone calls, or Siri . Sometimes, the video you shoot on your iPhone may have no sound at all. But before you pay Apple to fix the problem, try these fixes first.

1. Find out which microphone is not working

Before you can start fixing your iPhone's microphone, you need to know which microphone isn't working. If you have an iPhone 5 or later, you'll have three microphones: One on the bottom for phone calls, one on the front of the phone for speakerphone, and one on the back for the camera.

Test each microphone by recording audio using Voice Memos (bottom microphone), making a phone call on speaker (front microphone), and recording video (rear microphone). If all microphones are not working, it is likely a hardware problem. If only one microphone is not working or the audio is muffled, continue to the next step.

2. iPhone microphone muffled or muted? Try cleaning it!

One of the easiest ways to fix your microphone is to clean it. If one of your microphones is making muffled sounds when you speak, you may just need to clean it. iPhone microphones are very sensitive, and a small piece of dust or flakes can affect how well they sound.

To clean your microphone, first avoid blowing into it. Instead, dip a cotton swab or Q-tip in isopropyl alcohol. Then, wipe along the problem microphone. Try to get inside the microphone hole if possible. Alternatively, you can use a toothbrush to do the same thing.

Isopropyl alcohol breaks down dirt and dries quickly, so it won't damage your iPhone. Try using the highest percentage of isopropyl alcohol you can find. While you're at it, clean your entire iPhone if it gets really dirty.

3. Disconnect from Bluetooth device

Connecting to a Bluetooth device means your iPhone is activating the external microphone and you can't use the built-in microphone.

This is a common issue for people using Bluetooth headphones like AirPods or smart home systems. Check to see if you’re connected to a Bluetooth device by opening your iPhone’s Control Center, then turning Bluetooth off. Alternatively, press and hold it to see all of your connected devices.

4. Make sure the app has permission to use the microphone

If your microphone isn't working in a particular app, you may not have given that app permission to use your microphone.

To grant permissions to the app, go to Settings and select the affected app. Now, make sure the Microphone option is enabled.

5. Use an external microphone or AirPods

If you've tried all of the above fixes and they haven't worked, you can still use an external microphone with your iPhone. You can use this while you wait for a repair, or even use the external microphone indefinitely if you can't afford a repair.

Most headphones, including Apple's AirPods, have built-in microphones. Since they connect via the iPhone's Lightning/USB-C port or Bluetooth, you won't have to rely on the built-in microphone for most tasks.

6. Other general fixes

In some cases, your iPhone's microphone may not be working due to a software bug. Fortunately, updating your iPhone can fix a variety of issues, including a microphone not working. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to quickly check for a newer version of iOS.

If updating iOS doesn't fix the problem, you may want to reset your iPhone's settings to their default values. Sometimes apps can customize settings that can cause your iPhone's microphone to stop working. Go to Settings > General > Switch or reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings to do this.

If none of the troubleshooting methods help, you should contact Apple to repair or replace your iPhone.